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Sunday, January 27, 2013

A New Journey: Conservative Care Treatment for Gibson's Cruciate Tear

Shortly before Gibson's birthday, my beautiful boy and I have embarked upon a new journey. Right around Christmas, he had started to limp from what we initially thought was a soft tissue injury from being active now that his Epi-meds were reduced (see story on Bromide toxicity incident). He soon started favoring the leg and then couldn't put any weight on it at all. He began to work around it and even was able to run as a tripawd, with the injured paw held up and close to his body. We did an Xray to rule out any hip or other issues...but he could not use his leg. He went on an anti-inflammatory for a week with continued in-home K-Laser treatments (we really do have the best vet team!) However, even after receiving a number of treatments, it didn't seem to get any better indicating that the injury is different than what we first suspected. One of my wonderful vet's came to do a house call and upon examing Gibson, and with his Xrays, determined he had a cruciate ligament tear. Flashbacks of last summer with our sweet Chloe having blown out both of her back CCLs and requiring an emergency double bilateral imbrication surgerycame flooding into my mind...only with Gibson being an Epi-Husky, surgery is always a big concern. After discussion with my vet, we agreed to take the conservative care treatment route with Gibson and now focus his laser treatments on the bad leg, along with having him fitted with a custom Woundwear A-Trac Dynamic Brace and Harness Set (that was recommended to me by fellow Epi-dog Tundra's hu-dad in British Columbia). He had used the brace and harness on his late Epi-Husky and found it gave her much more freedom. So, I researched the link and info he sent me, and thought it was a great idea for Gibson. With assistance from my vet staff, Gib was measured and they ordered the brace harness from Woundwear.

After just a few days, it came in and he's now been
outfitted with it and we have begun the adjustment to his wearing it 24/7. Pictured above is a collage of Gib after his brace harness
was put on. Harley, his love, gave him lots of supportive Husky kisses!

There are plastic rods in the brace, that once full weight is placed on the leg, can we switched out to a more flexible rod. There is a schedule of walking and adding time and incline over a period of time to help with the recovery. The nice thing about this A-Trac stability harness is that it can be an option for conservative treatments, which is what we are doing with Gibson - or, it can be used as post-operative care for CCL surgery. It's a great option I would highly recommend researching and discussing with your veterinarian to see if it's viable for your dog with CCL injuries. I am very thankful Tundra's dad suggested it to me, and I am always on the look-out for alternative and holistic treatments with an Epi-Husky. Surgery is always an option...but if I can help him heal and stay healthy by going a different route, then that's what I'd like to try. So our course of treatment at this time is a combination of targeted weeklyK-Laser treatments and the Woundwear A-Trac Stability Brace and Harness.

I also did some research on natural anti-inflammatories as most medicinal ones filter through the liver, and with Gibson already being on Potassium Bromide and Phenobarbital, with the Pheno already going through is liver (and I have him on the supplement Milk Thistle to aid in cleansing the liver of the Pheno), I was really hoping for a more natural way to administer anti-inflams so as not to overtax his liver. After much research and conversation with my vet, Gibson was placed on one that my vet and I mutually agreed upon.

I came across this quote while we went through Choe's injury, surgery, and follow-up rehab, and just wanted to share it once again, this time for Gibson and anyone else who is going through a particularly trying or uncertain time:

"None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.”

~ Paulo Coelho

So with gradual steps in this brace and with rest, leash
walks, natural anti-inflams, and laser therapy, the hope is that he
will regain strength in his leg as scar tissue forms. After about a
12-week period the brace can be removed and put on just during walks for
another two to three months. For now, it's a 24/7 wear, and with one
full week into Gibson's conservative treatment, he really is enjoying his rehab walks - especially as we stroll
through some of the leftover snow. The Woundwear A-Trac Stability Brace andHarness is really helping to support his leg, and in conjunction with his weeklyK-LaserUSA treatments to help his body heal at a cellular level (including speeding up healing time, reducing inflammation and pain),
I'm hoping I can change out the rods soon to the flex rods
in his brace - as soon as he can put full weight on his bad cruciate
leg. Right now he does put "tippy-toe" weight on the leg, and Gib's such a trooper...so we're feeling really hopeful. :-)

It's only been just one week since he's been in the brace harness set, and several weeks on the natural anti-inflams. As with anything, time will tell...but I do see some of his spark and energy coming back...the hardest part is keeping him on rest! I'm also keeping his diet in check and while he trimmed down from 116 pounds from two years ago (the weight gain was a result of the Epi-meds) to his current 99.1 pounds, I'm hoping to get another four pounds off to get to the magical number 95 so it's less weight on his bad leg, which can only help him. In the meantime, I keep talking to him and telling him how proud I am of him. I also keep checking the harness (so it doesn't cause a rub burn or get too lose) and give him lots of kisses and rubs and let him know every day thathe's strong and such a good boy and how proud I am of him..and hopefully, by June, he'll be back on his way to freedom and playing with the pack family once again!

dear dorothywe hope sooo much that this will work and sweet gibson and he can get rid of the pain.he is so lucky to have such a thoughtfull momma,who does so much for him.we are having all our paws and fingers crossed that this harnish will make him fell better forever.thinking of you and the packgreetings,anni

The process of finding the best combination and balance is not an easy one but oh, so worth it when surgery or extreme measures can be avoided. KLaser treatment has been a godsend for Quinn with his back leg weakness...I cried tears of joy this past weekend when, for the first time in MONTHS he asked to join the Army for its Sunday car ride and exercise at the Park...normally he has walked us to the door and chosen to stay home. Time and patience...and LOVE...can conquer all.

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Welcome to the FiveSibes blog! At our home, we are the proud parents to five beautiful, lovable, energetic full-blooded Siberian Huskies whom we fondly refer to as "the kids!" Out of the five, four are siblings, three of them littermates! We also have an "Honorary Husky Cat" who adopted us, and most recently, she brought home another furpal, a feral kitten who has now adopted us, too! These furbabies are truly are a part of our family and we love them so! Through this blog, you will get to meet each one of them and share in a laugh or a cry at their fun-loving, crazy, wacky, and sometimes worrisome antics.

I first began the idea of creating a FiveSibes blog quite awhile ago when one of our Sibes, my wooly boy, Gibson, developed seizures shortly after his third birthday. When I began writing my journal of his medical journey, I had started posting entries on other social media as a way of connecting to others who also experienced the same with their dogs. Through this medium, I was able to connect with some pretty terrific dog-loving folks, both owners of Sibes, as well as other breeds,who I am happy to now call my friends.

My intention for this blog is to write about "a day in the life of" the FiveSibes, bringing thoughts, ideas, photos, tips, and discoveries to the forefront of discussion about the wonderful breed, as well as all things canine with others who share the same passion and love for their furbabies as we do.

We also hope to help spread the word that there are so many abandoned and homeless Sibes out there who could use a loving home. Too many times folks bring home a Husky simply for their beauty, but do not do the research to understand the breed and its needs and then turn the dog into a shelter when they can't/won't care for it anymore. Please visit the Sibe rescues listed on this site if you are considering bringing a Siberian Husky into your home. There are so many beautiful furbabies just waiting for a loving, forever home. Maybe yours could be one!

Let's make this forum a nice, comfy, polite place for everyone to visit--bring along your darling dog (or dogs), pull up a chair, have a cup of coffee, and let's talk canine!

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Thank you, Pets BlogRoll for the great prize!!! We love the book! 4-Paws Up!